Microsoft announces Windows 10 retirement date

Windows 10 will reach its end-of-support date on October 10th 2025, Microsoft has announced, offering users over four years warning.

It will mean Windows 10 will fall out of support 10 years after being released in 2015.

You can’t fault Microsoft for not giving Windows 10 users plenty of notice about the operating system’s life cycle. In fact this is the first time Microsoft has announced the retirement date of a current operating system.

Usually when Microsoft announces retirement dates and end-of-support dates, its related to software that has already been replaced with more recent versions.

The end-of-support date is when the software no longer receives updates – including security fixes – from the developer. While the software will still work, compatibility with software or hardware is no longer guaranteed and the software becomes more vulnerable to cybercrime and hackers. It isn’t recommended to keep using software once it reaches its end-of-support date.

If you’re still using Windows 8.1 you have until January 10th 2023 before the extended support ends.

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Windows 10 was released back in July 2015, six years ago. The Windows 10 operating system was billed as one that would be around for longer than its predecessors, receiving regular updates instead of being succeeded after the traditional 3 or 4 years by a newer version.

And true to their word, Microsoft has indeed waited the longest period of time between operating systems to replace it with the upcoming Windows 11.

Going back in time…
Windows 95 was replaced after three years by Windows 98 in 1998.
Windows 98 was replaced after three years by Windows XP in 2001.
Windows XP was replaced after five years by Windows Vista in 2006.
Windows Vista was replaced after three years by Windows 7 in 2009.
Windows 7 was replaced after three years by Windows 8 in 2012.
Windows 8 was upgraded (for free) to Windows 8.1 a year later in 2013.
And Windows 8 (and 8.1) was replaced two/three years later by Windows 10 in 2015.
And six years later Windows 11 is slated for release towards the backend of 2021.

So the gap between Windows 10 and 11 has been the largest in Microsoft’s history, overtaking the five year gap between Windows XP and Vista.

However Windows 10 won’t surpass Windows XP when it comes to support lifecycle. The popularity of Windows XP led to the operating system being officially supported for a whopping 13 years (2001-2014.)

More details on Windows 11 are expected soon, including confirmation on whether or not it will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users.